Rich Caramel Cake Recipes

CARAMEL CAKE (SALTED CARAMEL CAKE)

Steps:

• Place sugar and water into a medium pot, stir to combine, but to not stir from this point forward. Cook over high heat, washing down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to prevent crystals.
• Cook until desired color of caramel is reached (amber) and immediately remove from heat. Very slowly pour in (room temperature) heavy cream while whisking quickly. The mixture will bubble up (a lot) and boil. Add (room temperature) butter, return to heat, and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes whisking constantly.
• If you want to make this a salted caramel, add your salt at this point. Whisk it in (start with less than you think you'll need), dip a spoon into the caramel, let it cool, taste it, add more salt as needed.
• Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Transfer to a container and place in fridge to thicken.*
• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3 mins). Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and caramel and mix until incorporated.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
• Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
• Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
• Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**
• Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3mins)
• Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
• Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
• Add cooled caramel and whip until smooth.*** Add additional salt if desired if making a salted caramel buttercream.
• Trim cake layers slightly. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 1-2 Tbsp cooled caramel. Spread evenly pressing into the cake layers so the cake absorbs the sauce. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting, spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
• Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
• Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother. Use a cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth.
• Using a small spoon, place dollops of caramel around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down.****
• Fill in the top of the cake with more caramel and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting.

GOLDEN CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of batter; cover and refrigerate to use in icing. Pour remaining batter into pans.
• Bake and cool as directed on cake mix box.
• To make icing, in heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until brown; remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, reserved cake batter and evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with whisk, until smooth, bubbly and almost thick; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly. Fill layers and frost cake with icing. Store loosely covered.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN CARAMEL CAKE RECIPE - (3.8/5)

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and add optional parchment paper. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat for 5 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well after each. Add flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well. Divide among pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes until set. Turn out of pans onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely. FROSTING: Mix all ingredients over medium-low heat in a 3- to 4-quart cast iron dutch oven. Swirl pan to keep ingredients moving in the pan. Cook to softball stage, 235ºF to 245ºF on a candy thermometer, or when a drop forms a soft ball in a cup of cold water. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and ready to spread.

CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease and flour the sides and bottoms of two 8" round baking pans¹. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using an electric mixer), stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
• With mixer on low speed, add butter, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture resembles sandy coarse crumbs.
• Stir in oil until well-combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
• With mixer on low-speed, gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Once combined, pause to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.
• Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and bake on 350F (175C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.
• Prepare caramel icing:
• Combine brown sugar, butter, salt, milk, and heavy cream in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-heat. Stir frequently until brown sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.
• Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and pour into a large heat-proof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and stir with stand mixer or an electric mixer until combined. Increase speed to high and stir until caramel mixture is almost completely cooled and icing reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Spread over cake. If icing is dripping off of cake (especially when icing the sides), let it cool a bit longer before proceeding.
• Allow icing to solidify completely before slicing cake and serving. Enjoy!

RICH CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt caramels and butter.
• Remove from heat and add the sweetened condensed milk; mix well and set aside.
• Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
• Spread 2 cups of cake batter into a greased 13x9 inch pan, and bake for 15 minutes.
• Spread caramel mixture evenly over cake, and then spread remaining cake batter over caramel mixture.
• Top with the pecans and return to the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Cool, and enjoy!